Universal-joint mechanism.



l. F, H. E. DODGE.

UNIVERSAL JOlNT MECHANISM.

'APPucATloN man Auser.

Patented lime 29, 1915.

FLEECE-MEAN.

0 @ZZ "yo/7.10m it ifi/ay; Concern:

Be itknown *f7 et we, JOHN F. Dono@ and oimcn E. Dooom.. eiiizens of theUnited init-ss. r'esidine :it Detroit, Michigan, and dresse 'Pointjiviie dan. respectively, have inrenieri certain new and usefulmprovemens in iive1-soi 5oint Mechanism. of which the `wing is :i dem',ini@ and eniet deseription.

This invention reinies to universai joint mechanism, more psrticuieridesigned for use in eonneeiimi with the meohansizi for driving the rearaxle ofso motor cnr, and ivi-lidi neeiianism is arranged between theSaid. miie, or raiier the'riiffeien'siai, an@ the speed change gear.

@ne of iii@ objects of the. invention is to provifie :in improiefiunivers-ii joint for trfuismiiting motion from e. transmis: on shaft non. drive-shaft, in such a Wai# that the nniuiziions die rearnfheeis ofthe motor 'vip-4 Cor Wiii be fiken up si, 'die iiniverszii joint.

improved means 'for making :i univer-Sai join. :mii its housing` unoi`1-tight and dust-- inno. unit, without inwoning the irc-.tion oi'oinf (')iher objects or" the invenion are i.' grmide sim'pie, i eiefiirfid oiiicien universa' g'oin. nieciizinis r motor oars These ing Huongthe objees pres ont' inw-muon, the saine co is of Corwin entmes oi?Consrucion and combinations@ #ed ,and

Heini: iii@ r1 q Specification ef ls'ex's Ric-,is

is ienggitndinni oenigoi UNIVERSALQIBT fieitente June', f5?? 3.9i Li.

eonpiing mentar; Fig. 5 is a, transverse section on the. line. d Fig, l;and Fig. 6 s seetioimiA cietaiishow`1ng how the rigid housing sect-ifmis secured. The section is taken line 6-6, Fig. 2.

ei* to the drawings, the frame 10 1s provided with huil or rollerbearings l1 for nfliower ransmission shaft 12, which is driven by changgears not shown. Said eine is usuali' a easing inslosing the imagegears. Said shaft l?. is adapted to transmit its in -ion through adrive-sha: 13, in n nimmer to be described, which in "nur is tennectedin any Weil-known, or suitnbie manner with me differential mechanism79'- (noi shown). Owing to the undulationsof' the ank oi he roar Wheelso''a. motor cor,` the drive-.shaft shouid'imi'e a lateral phy', and yetbe capable of roation by thetrimsfars 'connected by means of ze.universal joint ssion shaft l2. To 'this end the said shafts. Z555tivoiy: the shrinks of Whichae sutaloljf/con-Y 'i or oifurene ends orarms of the` yokes are;

:irre K While ne iifois MLP', Mb, and l5, "i5", of theV yokes areconjointiy arranged ividiin n suit :ibis eonping. Said couplingcomprises as shown Figs. 1, 3 and si. a. pair of rinfs 16, 17, which arerespectively provided with a, series oi eqnidismntiy spaced halfbearings i8 and Said rings are of the saine construction and they arepositione oppositeiy to each other by means of removable fasteningswhich ore. passed through suitable nefrteci with -he said shafts Whiethe formed" openings 2i io'esed between siiidvhalf beara revionstogassemiiiing the rings,v the pivots oi yokes are positioned 1n' theimif bearings. which. when ,ghe rings are assemf,

i, -`viii therefore The seen'hat. the our pivot pms are equidistontyspaced and i e. :wronged conoenrioaiy around thoaxmi 'E H 1 Theuniversal wint deivo-snuff; 13. while et the'v same time it eneiiiesiin-e saine io be rotated. Preferablyon fis i Lore ceaiuy shown in Figs.3 and 4.-, of iis ringsl. l? is provided'with zur noia e" L s 22 isinner face;

airing ibo iaering" l so that one Yoke spans the othelg,

'iviniis Jseiiiritozy motion of thef vg3 i 1,144,531

24,r .which tube extends to the differential casing and incloses thedrive-shaft 13, wh1le .15 the end 25 of said drive-shaft 13 is prefer-A*ably squared and adapted to slide in a correspondingly square opening26 in the shank of vsaid yoke 14. I f the tube 24 also has a sl'digmotion, it is preferably located at 15 `i liner end within the sleeve26*l of a @housing 27 so as to slide longitudinally in said sleeve, andsaid tube 241s also adaptedgto have an oscillatory movement within Asaidsleeved 26a, thus providing a torque zo'tube which is .slightly turnedto theV right orto the left, depending upon which of the "vrfwhevels maystrike an obstruction and t 'us incline the rear axle relatively to theof the car. v 251 Housing 27 comprises a hollow section 28,

which is rigidly secured to the frame 10 as-V Y 'by screwbolts 29, andanother hollow section30', on which is located said sleeve 26".

- Thehousingsection 30 is supportedso as to '30; move -withthe -yoke 14and concomitant parts, To this end the sectiony 30 is prefer- Y ablyprovided as shown clearly in Fig. 2

4with pivots 31 which extend in opposite directionsdaway `from thekhousing andare i. V35i-supported in' bearing boxes or brackets 32,V

33,; which arey securedto the frame 10 as by Vscrewbolts 34. Both ofsaid housing sec'` tions are therefore supported on the same j frame10.. The axes of the pivots 31 are in '40 Pthe normal position of theparts, that is to sa vwhen the two shafts 12, 13, are in alinement, inthe same plane as the axes of thepivots lof the universal joint. Also,`the contact surface of the rigid-section-28 45 vofthe housingisconcentric ,with the middle .zpoint of the axis through pivots 31which .is at the center of movement of the yoke 15,

' thatisto, say, the middle point of the". axis A through, -pivots 14and14". Consequently,

- 69"' "said housing section 30 may partake of the ,-iasame oscillatory,motion as` the coupling 16, 17, and associated parts, with the exceptionthat itdoesnot 'turn on itslongitudinalt airisythat is .to say, saidsection 30 moves inv 's'the same plane as the universal joint, simul.-tanequsly with the up and down movemerit ...ofthe shaft 13.` The rim ofthe housing'` section 30 isset within vthe rim of the hous- 1\ ingsection 28,' and the joint between the 0"xtwo1is closed as by' means ofa packing -35 which is received in 'an annular groove 36 -in section 30.`Diring the lup and down movement of'the' section 30,.the packing ring35willgniov with'v itin contact Q6 '/mthftlle wnervwall; iliiusing sectionand the shank of the yoke 15and another D;

114 in said .x shank 14?.

` housing forming a' chamber for containili a aalworking 28 and thuslseal the joint; Saidsecticimglf;-lr

larly due to the oil channels inthe couplingy rings 16, 17." A packingrin 38 may bewlgiV-uu'fifk cated in the joint between te vwall ofthecentral opening of the housing section 28;

packing ring 24 ma lbe arranged betweenf 1 the shank 14 of yo e 14andthe tube 244.57- Said packing ring 24*r is vfitted in a groove-v Itis obvious that various changes can madein thefdescribed `constructionas parte; y may be omitted, partsv added, and parts sub1, .i stitutedwithout departing from, thefgspirity and scope of the invention. i Whatwe claim as new is:- 1 1 1. In universal joint mechanism, the colui*binationo'f two yokes adaptable to separate, 51.1; shafts, pivotpinsextendinginalinement each yoke, and a yoke coupling comprisineconnected opposing rin each provid with a plurality vo. ha f bearingscorre-Ef, I' spending in number to said-Divotpins, thexilue; halfbearings of one ringbeing opposed-toe` the half' bearings-of theotherjrmg and; forming bearings receiving said pivot pins,f. ..V v saidrings each having/.an oil channel oo mf.` municating with' saidbearings, a sections-1.105 housing inclosing said parts,` said sectionsvL v having hollows which face'rone another, stai tonary-means forrigidly supportingopf section o said housing, and meanslocated 5 on saidstationary means and sedparate fromifflioj the contactsurface of said risectioniwVVV Y pivotally supporting the ot er section ,oigj "j saidhousing 'movably with respect to said)` surface of said rigid section,the contactiligf` f parts of said sections being at the greatestfail'ediameter of each of said sections andsaidf 2 a body of lubricant inwhich said' coupl yokes workand with which saidoilchannell communicateso thatpthe parts'of said 0011120 pling will be lubricated. In universaljoint mechanism, the f bination of two' shafts, a universal jointsrrr lconnecting them, a sectional housing yfo" said joint compri 'ngreversely hollowed 13.5 sections, the hollows of said sectionsfacing fone another, stationary means for su ing one of the housing sectionsrigidip ,"th other housing section being tted movabl pnefa of housingsection, the contacting parts of said sections being 'it the greatestdiameter of each of said sections, and stationary means separate fromthe said face of the first said housing section' but located outside thelatter for supporting the other housing section in said Workingposition.

3. 1n mechanism of the character described, the combination with astationary housing section, of a movable housing section arranged inworking reiation to said stationary section, said sections havinghollows which face one another, and stationary means located laterallyof said stationary section and removed from the working surfaces of saidhousing sections for supporting said movable section, the contact facesof said housing sections being spherical, and the contacting partsthereof being at the greatest diameter of each of said sections.

4. In mechanism f the character described, the combination of a housingcomprising sections fixed against rotation, means for supporting thesame, two shafts extending into said housing, and means for couplingsaid shafts, one of said shafts being longitudinally slidable on onemember of said coupling with respect to lthe othei` shaft, and a casingvtube for said slidable shaft, extending from said housing, said memberbearing in said casing tube and said casing tube having an oscillatorymovement on said housing.

in universal joint mechanism, the comi bination with' a universal joint,of a sectioned housing for said joint, comprising a stationary sectionAand a movable section, said sections being hollowed reverscly andhaving mutual working surfaces, stationary means external to saidhousing for supporting said movable section, and pivot connectionsbetween said supporting means and said movable section, the contactingparts of f' greatestl 'corresponding in number to said pivot pins,

the half-bearings of one ring being op osed' to tlie half-bearings ofthe other and orming bearings receiving said pivot pins, said ringshaving an oil channel communicating with said bearings and an oil inletleading to said channel, a sectional housing for said connected yOkeS,comprising a rigid section` and a movable section having mutual Work- 5ing surfaces, a. support for said parts, brackets fixed to said'nsupportoutside of said rigid section, pivots: extending laterally of saidmovable section and Working in bearings of said brackets, and theworking sur- 5 face of said rigid section being concentric with themiddle point of the axis of said pivots of said movable section, .meansfor slidablyl connecting one of said shafts with one of said yokes, anda casing tube for said 7.

slidable shaft extending from the movable section of said housing, said,last Enamed yoke bearing in said casing tube and the latter having anoscillatory movement Q'on and being Sudam@ longitudinally with respect 5to said movable section.

Signed 'at Detroit, Mich., this 31 day of July, 1914.

'Witnessesr W. R. WVnsoN, p G. W. MASON.

